Over-commercialization and Declarations of Love: You Might Think
by somewhereinthedreams
Summary: Laurel and Gareth celebrate Valentine's Day. Set Post-Season 1.


**A/N: The full title got cut off, so here it is:** **Over-commercialization and Declarations of Love: You Might Think I'm Crazy**

 **Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy and let me know what you think. I miss this pairing!**

* * *

Laurel knocked on Gareth's door and popped her head in his office. Normally, she wouldn't enter without waiting but his assistant said she could head right in since she was on his calendar. She was almost ten minutes late, but he'd understand.

"Senator, if you'll let me explain..." Gareth motioned for her to come in. "I'll get right on that, but I have an important meeting. I'll update you soon." Gareth shook his head and hung up his phone.

"Do you need to reschedule?" Laurel asked as she shut the door behind her.

"You're my important meeting."

Laurel smirked at him as she made her way around his desk. She set down two boxes and snuck in a kiss. "You're so romantic," Laurel teased before sitting down on his lap.

"It is Valentine's Day."

"It is."

She and Gareth were far from being a traditional couple. They loved politics but had very different ideas about everything, not just political stuff, but somehow they made it work. She had reluctantly come to love her job and loved sparring with Gareth about it even more. Their schedules had been jampacked and both had back to back meetings today and all they could manage was a half an hour meeting for them to celebrate. They were going out to dinner later in the week, but even if they weren't a traditional couple they still wanted to see each other on Valentine's Day. And the best they could do was meeting at 9:40am for twenty minutes. It was actually kind of pathetic. But Gareth insisted.

"You left before I got up," Gareth said.

"Blame my brother. He's the one that scheduled a 7am meeting."

"I will. He doesn't like me anyway, what's one more reason for us not to get along?"

Laurel shook her head. Gareth was exaggerating. As long as they avoided politics, which was nearly impossible, Gareth and Luke got along for the most part. Luke liked that Gareth made her happy. "I got you something."

"You celebrate Valentine's Day? You're okay with the over-commercialization and - "

Laurel smacked his chest and hopped off his lap. "You're impossible. I don't even know why I bother with you."

Gareth laughed softly as he stood up and circled his arms around her waist. "Because I got you something too."

Laurel ceremoniously handed him two boxes. "I got you something else too, but I'm saving it for Friday."

"Okay, enough with the explanations." He took the first box from her and lifted the lid. He burst out laughing when he saw the contents. "Salami, seriously?" Laurel nodded and handed him the other box. "And chocolate," he said when he opened it. "Of course."

"Too soon?"

As much as he would love to forget most of what happened that summer, it was nearly impossible. Insane didn't even begin to describe what happened. And now Laurel was talking about some strange happenings on Wall Street. He shook her head, forcing himself to stay focused. "Nope, it's perfect. Just later - don't remind me to go faster. You might bruise my ego or something."

"We can't have that." She opened the chocolates and popped one in his mouth.

"Hey!" He didn't mind sharing, but she could've at least let him have one first.

She rolled her eyes and fed him a chocolate. She quickly kissed him, "Sorry." Laurel wiped the chocolate off his mouth and laughed when he kissed her again.

"Mmm," Gareth murmured. "We should cancel the rest of our days and go hide out somewhere. Maybe we can squeeze in a planetarium show."

"Not until I open my gift." Laurel expectantly held out her hand and he opened his desk drawer and handed her a box.

He watched her open it and bit back a laugh when he saw the confused look on her face.

"Is that..."

"Yeah. It's a chocolate salami. I've heard it's a delicacy," Gareth said.

Laurel shook her head as she started laughing, "We are so strange."

"It's not really salami. It's just shaped like one."

"Good, we already have salami covered."

Gareth peered in the box and poked the salami, "You don't expect me to eat this, do you?"

"No, but you might want to take it with you on your trip to New York next month."

Gareth nodded but didn't acknowledge her comment about New York. "You know, I saw that The Cars are touring this summer and I almost got tickets, but I really don't want to know what happens when they play, 'You Might Think.'"

"Me either." Laurel groaned when her phone rang and she offered Gareth an apologetic smile as she answered. "I'll be right there," Laurel told her brother and hung up the phone. "Sorry, I have to go. I'll see you at home later?"

"I won't be home until late unless - "

"Don't even think about asking me to go to that fundraising event with you." Laurel shuddered at the thought of spending a few hours hobnobbing with Red's donors. Who scheduled a fundraiser on Valentine's Day?

"Then I'll see you tonight."

Laurel grabbed her gift and started to make her way out of Gareth's office when he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to him. "I have to go."

Gareth made a show of looking at his watch. "You're still mine for the next two minutes."

Laurel wrapped her arms around his neck. "A whole two minutes? We better make it count then."

THE END


End file.
